Many people with religious convictions feel that their faith is rock solid. But a new study finds that prompting people to engage in analytical thinking can cause their religious beliefs to waver, if only a little. Researchers say the findings have potentially significant implications for understanding the cognitive underpinnings of religion.

Psychologists often carve thinking into two broad categories: intuitive thinking, which is fast and effortless (instantly knowing whether someone is angry or sad from the look on her face, for example); and analytic thinking, which is slower and more deliberate (and used for solving math problems and other tricky tasks). Both kinds of thinking have their strengths and weaknesses, and they often seem to interfere with one another. "Recently there's been an emerging consensus among [researchers] … that a lot of religious beliefs are grounded in intuitive processes," says Will Gervais, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in Canada and a co-author of the new study, published [April 26] in Science.

Interesting word 'threatens'. Would you say that belief 'threatens' analytic thinking? The conclusion reached by analysing religious beliefs may challenge certain religious assumptions and concepts and that's what the article notes.

Many people with religious convictions feel that their faith is rock solid. But a new study finds that prompting people to engage in analytical thinking can cause their religious beliefs to waver, if only a little. Researchers say the findings have potentially significant implications for understanding the cognitive underpinnings of religion.

Psychologists often carve thinking into two broad categories: intuitive thinking, which is fast and effortless (instantly knowing whether someone is angry or sad from the look on her face, for example); and analytic thinking, which is slower and more deliberate (and used for solving math problems and other tricky tasks). Both kinds of thinking have their strengths and weaknesses, and they often seem to interfere with one another. "Recently there's been an emerging consensus among [researchers] … that a lot of religious beliefs are grounded in intuitive processes," says Will Gervais, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in Canada and a co-author of the new study, published [April 26] in Science.

No wonder the Vatican has been emphasizing "radical obedience" over critical analysis of what they say and do.

If psychologists think that analytic thinking is used to solve math problems it is proof that they have never done any serious mathematics.

Jacques Hadamard wrote in 1954 in his famous book, “The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field," that a sense of beauty seems to be almost the only useful “drive” for discovery in mathematics.

“So long as there is squalor in the world, those obsessed with social justice feel obliged not only to live in it themselves but also to spread it evenly.”

Interesting word 'threatens'. Would you say that belief 'threatens' analytic thinking? The conclusion reached by analysing religious beliefs may challenge certain religious assumptions and concepts and that's what the article notes.

Good article BTW

The title of the article is, "To keep the faith, don't get analytical." I chose a thread title that reflects the title of the article. I used intiuitive thinking rather than analytical thinking in picking the title. Didn't seem like a matter that deserved a lot of analysis

Many people with religious convictions feel that their faith is rock solid. But a new study finds that prompting people to engage in analytical thinking can cause their religious beliefs to waver, if only a little. Researchers say the findings have potentially significant implications for understanding the cognitive underpinnings of religion.

Psychologists often carve thinking into two broad categories: intuitive thinking, which is fast and effortless (instantly knowing whether someone is angry or sad from the look on her face, for example); and analytic thinking, which is slower and more deliberate (and used for solving math problems and other tricky tasks). Both kinds of thinking have their strengths and weaknesses, and they often seem to interfere with one another. "Recently there's been an emerging consensus among [researchers] … that a lot of religious beliefs are grounded in intuitive processes," says Will Gervais, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in Canada and a co-author of the new study, published [April 26] in Science.

No wonder the Vatican has been emphasizing "radical obedience" over critical analysis of what they say and do.

If psychologists think that analytic thinking is used to solve math problems it is proof that they have never done any serious mathematics.

Jacques Hadamard wrote in 1954 in his famous book, “The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field," that a sense of beauty seems to be almost the only useful “drive” for discovery in mathematics.

What difference does it make how much or what type of math the psychologists have done? That has nothing to do with the results of the study. The researchers also used stimuli other than math problems to get people to think analytically, and when they did, people expressed less belief than people who had not been stimulated to think analytically.

Many people with religious convictions feel that their faith is rock solid. But a new study finds that prompting people to engage in analytical thinking can cause their religious beliefs to waver, if only a little. Researchers say the findings have potentially significant implications for understanding the cognitive underpinnings of religion.

Psychologists often carve thinking into two broad categories: intuitive thinking, which is fast and effortless (instantly knowing whether someone is angry or sad from the look on her face, for example); and analytic thinking, which is slower and more deliberate (and used for solving math problems and other tricky tasks). Both kinds of thinking have their strengths and weaknesses, and they often seem to interfere with one another. "Recently there's been an emerging consensus among [researchers] … that a lot of religious beliefs are grounded in intuitive processes," says Will Gervais, a graduate student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in Canada and a co-author of the new study, published [April 26] in Science.

No wonder the Vatican has been emphasizing "radical obedience" over critical analysis of what they say and do.

If psychologists think that analytic thinking is used to solve math problems it is proof that they have never done any serious mathematics.

Jacques Hadamard wrote in 1954 in his famous book, “The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field," that a sense of beauty seems to be almost the only useful “drive” for discovery in mathematics.

Many of my Business students used 'intuitive thinking' to develop their business plans. They all got "F's", to date.